Hair Loss 101: Treating Male Pattern Baldness Male pattern baldness affects millions of men all over the world. The process of thinning hair and baldness can cause men to lose confidence in themselves and feel unattractive. The good news is that if you are losing your hair due to genetic male pattern baldness, there are treatment options available. With proper treatment, it may be possible for you to prevent the progression of your hair loss and even grow back some of the hair that you have lost. Read on to learn how to effectively treat your male pattern baldness.
There are only two hair loss treatments that have been medically proven to effectively treat male pattern baldness. If you are experiencing genetic pattern hair loss, you must take advantage of these treatments. Let’s examine these two treatments: finasteride and minoxidil.
Finasteride, which you may have heard of as the brand Propecia, is an oral medication that reduces scalp levels of DHT. Available by prescription only, finasteride is a pill that you must take every single day for as long as you wish to see results. Finasteride is much more effective at slowing down male pattern baldness and maintaining hair count then it is at growing back already lost hair, so if you wish to see the full benefits of finasteride supplementation, you should start taking the medicine as soon as you begin to notice the early signs of hair loss. There are a few sexual side effects reported by men who use finasteride, so be sure to thoroughly discuss the possible risks with your doctor. Be very patient when taking finasteride, it may take 6 months to a full year before you see results. Hair growth does not occur overnight.
Along with finasteride, the other treatment proven to re-grow hair on men experiencing male pattern baldness is minoxidil. Sold under the brand name of Rogaine, minoxidil was once available only by prescription but it is now sold over the counter. Unlike finasteride, minoxidil is a topical liquid medication that you provide directly to your scalp. To see and maintain hair growth results you must apply minoxidil every single day. Apply it either once or twice per day, morning or not. Minoxidil is typically not as effective as finasteride at maintaining hair count, but as a scientifically proven treatment, you should definitely consider using it. If applying the liquid minoxidil solution is very messy and it drips all over, you may purchase a foam minoxidil solution, which some men find much easier to apply.
If minoxidil and finasteride are ineffective at treating your male pattern baldness, you only have two other options for treatment: wearing a hairpiece of getting hair transplant surgery. Hair transplants involve removing hairs from non-balding areas and placing them on balding areas. The look of your hair transplant surgery depends almost entirely on the skill of the doctor performing the surgery.
By utilizing all available treatments it may be possible to win the fight against male pattern baldness and keep your hair. Remember to use only scientifically proven treatments and avoid wasting money on scam supplements.